School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

Biography

Role

Mark is an Associate Professor (Reader) in Coastal Processes at Plymouth University. His work includes in-situ measurement, video remote sensing and numerical modelling of hydo- and morpho- dynamics. Past research topics have included infragravity oscillations on high-energy dissipative beaches, and wave reflection from a variety of different coastal structures. He has recently worked on two EPSRC projects looking at the storm response of gravel barriers and the resilience of UK coastlines fronting nuclear power plant installations. His main research focus currently is developing models for predicting shoreline change as part of an Australian Research Council sponsored project.

Research

Research interests

I am a Associate Professor (Reader) in Coastal Processes within the School of Marine Science and Engineering. My main research interests are in the fields of coastal and estuarine, hydo- and morpho- dynamics. My work in this area includes in-situ measurement, video remote sensing and numerical modelling. My PhD was in Physical Oceanography, focusing on infragravity oscillations on high-energy dissipative beaches. Following this I was involved in two research programmes as a post-doctoral researcher. The first of these, the British Beach and Nearshore Dynamics (B-BAND) programme, focussed on improving our understanding of sediment transport processes on beaches of varied morphology through the application of in-situ measurements. The second programme also involved using full-scale in-situ measurements to examine the processes of wave reflection from a variety of different coastal structures. Whilst still involved in in-situ measurements, my main research focus has turned to remote sensing the coastal zone using video techniques. I have been the principal investigator for the University of Plymouth on the EU funded I.N.D.I.A. project, which utilised the coastal video systems to examine the morphodynamic evolution of a coastal inlet in southern Portugal. An interest in coastal remote sensing and large-scale, long-term coastal evolution has also facilitated my involvement in the US Office of Naval Research, NICOP project that that centred on intermediate scale coastal behaviour. I lead the coastal video research in the University of Plymouth and co-ordinated the £1.3M European (CoastView) project aimed at developing coastal video systems in support of coastal zone management. This project involved 13 institutions form six countries, including universities and national-scale coastal managers. Since the successful completion of the CoastView project coastal video research continues to be strongly supported by the scientific community and was recently co-investigator on two EPSRC programmes which investigated a Risk-based Framework for Predicting Beaches in the Long term (RF PEBL), and the large-scale morphodynamic impacts of shore parallel breakwaters in areas of high tidal range (LEACOAST2). I am currently involved in two EPSRC projects looking at the storm response of gravel barriers and the resilience of UK coastlines fronting nuclear power plant installation. My main research focus currently is developing models for predicting shoreline change as part of a Australian Research Council sponsored project working, amongst others, with the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University.

Thain RH, Priestley AD & Davidson MA2004'The formation of a tidal intrusion front at the mouth of a macrotidal, partially mixed estuary: a field study of the Dart estuary, UK'Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science61,(1)161-172